Woman Survives Rare Internal Decapitation
June 16, 2005 — -- World-class bassoonist Debbie Greitzer is thankful she can still hear the music she can no longer play.
A near-fatal car accident this past January ended a lifelong career as a musician when the ligaments connecting the base of Greitzer's skull to her backbone were severed, internally decapitating her.
Miraculously, even though Greitzer's injuries were so severe, tests revealed that her organs and spinal cord were still intact.
"None of the other organs were injured; the spinal cord wasn't injured, the major vessels of her neck weren't injured, but all the ligaments that bind the skull to the neck were compromised," said Dr. Zachary Levine, neurosurgeon at the Washington Hospital Center.
With immediate surgery, Levine was able to reattach Greitzer's skull to her cervical spine with a plate and two screws. He also attached two titanium rods to both sides of her backbone.
Greitzer's miracle was twofold. Not only did she survive a very serious car crash, but she also survived a very rare and life-threatening injury.
"It's extremely rare, and it's extremely rare to survive this," said ABC News Medical Editor Dr.Tim Johnson.
Greitzer's skin and muscles were the only thing keeping her head together, literally. Now the music that fills her household, although a reminder of what she can no longer do, is helping her as she recovers.
Greitzer can no longer sit or stand for long periods of time, which prevents her from playing the bassoon. She is undergoing intense physical therapy to help her deal with the severe pain in her neck.
"On one hand, I'm so grateful absolutely to be here, but I'm also very aware of what I can't do at this time," Greitzer said.
Luckily for Greitzer, music runs in her family. Her husband is a musician, and her two sons also play music. This has allowed Greitzer to maintain an important part of her identity.
"I'm still the same person in terms of how I think; how I feel; that has not changed," she said. "It has become more intense."